


Pardon Me

by katling



Series: Nano Procrastination Fics 2019 [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Gen, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Tony has had enough, moderated because trolls are stupid, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-16 00:30:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21498901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katling/pseuds/katling
Summary: To quote a well-known movie - You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.What is that word? Pardon.Team Cap finds out that pardons ain't all they're made out to be and Tony finds this very amusing.
Series: Nano Procrastination Fics 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1543279
Comments: 43
Kudos: 2016
Collections: Best Team Iron Man, Salt is the spice of life, Team tony favs





	Pardon Me

**Author's Note:**

> I really need to stop procrastinating on my Nano fic by writing these.

“Are you kidding me? We’re not ‘fine’!”

The words had come out of Tony’s mouth without him even having to think about them, loud and indignant and scornful. As he watched now, Steve was first startled, then indignant, then his face settled into an expression that Tony was far too familiar with – his patented Captain America Disapproves Of You look. Once, that expression would have had Tony scurrying to backtrack and make amends but now it just infuriated him.

“Tony,” Steve began, his tone all unctuous and chiding and condescending.

“No,” Tony said with a sharp gesture of one hand. “I don’t know where you got the idea that this pardon meant that all was forgiven but you’re dead wrong.”

“We were pardoned, Stark, get over it,” Clint said snidely and Tony zeroed in on him for a moment. 

His eyes narrowed as they swept over the rest of them and came to land back on Steve again. Something in his look obviously made Steve want to take a step backwards before he steeled himself and squared his shoulders. Tony ignored that and continued assessing them, for once seeing right through them, even Natasha, and reading them like a book. A children’s book at that, one with big print and little words and simple sentences. And he as searched, he found something that turned what he was feeling from anger and irritation to cold amusement.

“You really believe that, don’t you?” he said, letting that amusement ooze into his voice and onto his face and all down his spine. “You really believe that those pardons have made everything go away.”

Steve opened his mouth but Tony cut him off. He had no interest into listening to Captain America try and shape the world to whatever delusion he was living in now.

“You didn’t read them, did you?” he said, letting cold contempt curl up with the amusement he felt.

“They let us off so _you_ don’t get to say anything,” Wanda sneered.

Tony matched that sneer and then cranked it up a notch. He had the pleasure of seeing Wanda falter for a moment. “Oh yes, I do, sweetheart. A pardon might protect you from the consequences of your actions _here in the USA_ but not anywhere else in the world. The President might _think_ he can pardon you for what you did in Europe but that’s little more than a symbolic gesture with no legal or diplomatic power behind it.”

Steve opened his mouth again but Tony rode roughshod over him. “And you’re forgetting the key point of a pardon.” He paused and waited for the confused frowns before he continued, “A pardon doesn’t mean you’re innocent of what you’ve been accused of.” He smirked and then spoke in clear, precise tones. “A key factor in getting a pardon is that you have to admit that you’re guilty of the crime you’re being pardoned for. No one can pardon an innocent person, only a guilty one.”

He gave a huge whoop of laughter. “By signing the agreement that included those pardons, you admitted guilt to all the crimes you committed.” He smirked. “Something I _know_ both Germany and Romania were _thrilled_ to hear. It makes the court cases so much easier when the criminals confess.”

Saying those words was like sloughing off an old, tattered, filthy coat and he felt the last remaining dregs of concern he once felt for his former teammates fade away. Rhodey and Pepper – among others – had been telling him for months now that he owed the Ex-Vengers nothing and now, as he stood before them, he finally believed that. He owed these delusional idiots _nothing_ – not his time, not his care, not his money, his tech, his anything.

“Have fun,” he said, smirking and revelling in his newly realised freedom. “And don’t come crying to me. You made your bed, now you have to lie in it.”

He turned and walked away, letting his new nanotech-based suit engulf him before he flew off, moving on both literally and figuratively.

**Author's Note:**

> I've made a couple of attempts to write a second part to this but just haven't managed to get anything down that I'm happy with. So, until and unless I do manage it, feel free to imagine all the consequences of your heart's desire. :D


End file.
